Back in February, Kevin Smith went on a tirade against film critics for their drubbing of his film Cop Out. The gist of it was that since critics saw it for free, they shouldn’t be able to say anything about it and from now on, he was not going to screen it and everyone would have to pay to see it. Needless to say, that sent the film critic world in an uproar, many of them lashing back at Smith, but eventually, things began to subside. At least, until now.
C. Robert Cargill, known as Massawyrm on Ain’t It Cool News and under his real name at a host of different sites, wrote an article on Film.com about Kevin Smith and the impact of his tirade earlier this year, making the excellent point that Smith had been riding on the praise of critics for years and now that they didn’t agree with him, he didn’t like them anymore. Cargill, towards the end, also stated “More importantly, it’s made what he has to say mostly irrelevant”. With all the backlash he’s been on the end of due to his rants against Southwest Airlines and the critical drubbing of Cop Out, it has trumped his work as a director because now people don’t like him as a person and will respond negatively. That’s not how Kevin Smith took it.
My wake up routine consists of laying in bed until 2PM (it’s summer gimme a break) and obsessively checking the internet through my phone. One of the sites I go to is Twitter and one of the people I follow is, you guessed it, . I’m used to his compulsive tweeting, regularly reading about ten or so comments he’s made before someone else pops up, and usually I like it. However today was different. Turns out Smith got wind of the Film.com article and when he saw the world “irrelevent” shit, as they say, hit the fan.
As you can see, he didn’t take it so well. Out of context with the article, I can see why he would respond so negatively; no one wants to be labeled as “irrelevent”. Now, I figured he would be done after this, but then it continued:
After trying to prove to everyone how relevent he is, he then begins on the attack of the writer of the article, and then finally blocks him from his Twitter feed (something he does when someone asks him to stop overly tweeting or says something that could be construed as negative; some deserve it and some don’t). After reading all of this, digesting it, then reading Cargill’s article, one thought came to mind:
GET OVER IT.
First off, the Cargill article isn’t the most negative thing on the block. He was talking about how Smith’ s actions are going to have adverse effects on his career from here on out. It’s one thing to hate a review; it’s another to attack the people who did them. They were being honest (although some, like Devin Faraci’s review on CHUD, got a little too personal) and that’s their job. Because of that intensity, critics are going to already have negative feelings towards Smith and are going to be even more hard on his films. In essence, he shot himself in the foot.
But no, he didn’t see that. Kevin Smith saw “irrelevent” , freaked out and went on another tirade (which does coincide with the release of Cop Out on DVD…hmmm). I love Kevin Smith’s movies. Clerks turned me from a film watcher into a film lover. I may not have liked his last two outings, but I will still see everything he does because I like his style. The thing is though…I’m starting to not like him. He isn’t used to being criticized this heavily and thanks to an already fragile ego after the disappointing theatrical run of Zack and Miri Make a Porno, his once cool demeanor has disappeared. It breaks my heart, it really does.
Kevin Smith just needs to get over it; people are going to hate, people are going to love. He has his loyal fanbase who will love everything he does, and for every five people who didn’t like Cop Out, there are five who did. To go on Twitter and rant against people just because they didn’t like what he did is childish and ridiculous and it just makes him look like a man who can’t take criticism (even though he used to so well).
Kevin Smith hasn’t become irrelevant in the way he thought he was being portrayed, but he is well on his way to being despised and that is something I never thought I would say.
who is Kevin Smith? heard a rumor that he thinks himself a filmmaker.
Heeeeey. I may not agree with his negative stance as of late, but his View Askewniverse is something I will always defend haha.
Jonathan Sullivan recently posted..Mob Thoughts- Kevin Smith Needs to Get Over It Seriously
I was surprised that it took Kevin this long to rant about negativity. I know that he became a hermit after “Zack and Miri” bombed, but those are the breaks. That is Hollywood. He had been in the game long enough to know that. There will be people praising your films and other people denouncing them. It comes with the territory. If he is gonna go after every person that gives him a negative review, he would be exhausted. Channel your energies on making the best film that you could do. Have a thicker skin about this.
Branden recently posted..Mysterious Skin 2004
Post-Zack and Miri Kevin Smith has been rant-centric. It’s like something in him snapped and all the weed in the world won’t put him back together.
I actually like Kevin Smith because of the fact that he does rant. I am the same way and I love to go against the grain. Why you may ask, just sometimes to be an ass. On the flip side everyone can have an opinion, it may not be an opinion that I actually agree with but they can have it. I am planning on renting Cop Out.
I actually rarely read a review for a movie I want to see. That is not my deciding factor on seeing a movie. I do read reviews for entertainment value and because I love movie commentary.
Maybe it’s too much weed. He’s smoked himself sober.
I like Smith but, it’s funny, I’m watching Cop Out right now and it is horrible!
Kaiderman recently posted..MILFcast aka- the Man- I Love Films podcast – EPISODE 2
What I find funny about this article (being a huge Smith fan) is that the author states Mr. Smith needs to “get over it”…this after Smith KA-Blocked the critic and…got over it. Maybe the author should take his own advice and get over it.
From what I’ve been seeing all day is him pointing out a bunch of stuff he’s done in the past as if he’s reaffirming himself in some way. If he truly didn’t care and was over the Cop Out hate, he wouldn’t have even given that article the time of day and would have brushed it off as opposed to laying into him.
Cargill stated he was a huge fan, and the whole point of the article was Smith’s outburst made him look bad…then he proceeded to once against have an outburst and once again he looks bad. I am in no way against his films; save for Cop Out, I haven’t really hated anything he’s done (except for Zack and Miri, I really liked all of them), but he’s just coming off like he can’t take a hint of criticism anymore, like the Zack and Miri failure has thinned his skin.
That’s a fair comment…but do you know why he rants…because it gets people talking…and the more people talk, the more he’ll keep going. You point out that you have seen him rant all day about this, which since I myself follow him can concur, but at the same time, people don’t have to follow him (as he has stated on many occasions). For me, if someone annoys me, doesn’t say something I like etc, I ignore it. The author could have easily done the same thing. So if you’re going to call Kevin out for his rants…shouldn’t this article also be called out as well? It’s like the pot calling the kettle black.
I would have ignored it like I did the first time around, but it happened again. And I’m sure it will happen again at some point. I didn’t ignore it because it was too reminiscent of his freak out over Cop Out’s bad press earlier this year, and because of this, it looks like it’s become a pattern of bratty behavior.
I’m not going to unfollow the guy (unless he finds this and decides to block me) because I generally like what he has to say and I find his tweets amusing. Just not stuff like this; he should be above it.
You do make a fair point too about the pot calling the kettle black; it’s the nature of the beast though, you know? I take up arms with someone calling out someone else or something of that sort, then I’m just adding fuel to the fire or ranting in the same way. Opinion pieces just kind of work like that I’ve noticed in the times I have written them in other sites. I stand by what I said though, but I respect your thoughts on the matter most definitely.
The guy is right – he was the critics darling with Clerks but then again he’s faced difficulties from the get-go since Mallrats wasn’t loved half as much Clerks. But he’s managed to win them over time and time again – Chasing Amy appeased the critics after Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob did the same after Dogma. He’s left View Asken behind and that’s hurt him. Clerks 2 was good but everything else has been awful – Jersey Girl was a waste of time, and Zack and Miri failed to make me laugh. I haven’t seen Cop Out but if it’s another sub-par film the critics have every right to bash him.
I like the guy – I think his commentaries are great fun, he’s an interesting speaker, and so enthusiastic about film and pop culture. But his films have gone down hill dramatically. A return to View Asken might be in order.
Dan recently posted..Top10Films Presents Classics Scenes 4
I think the solution is obvious: make your next film so good that all the critics eat their words.
Or, you know, just focus on your film and forget about grumpy old men who don’t like curse words in movies.
James Ewing recently posted..Despicable Me 2010
I’ve never gotten the appeal of Clerks.
Encore Entertainment recently posted..“It’s Only A House”- Revisiting Up
I’ve always loved Smith, and while I may not agree on the ones that are good and bad here that’s just semantics. I saw what he was going for with Cop Out, but it was so far in between obvious and subtle that it wasn’t a satire nor a parody. It was just a mediocre buddy cop flick that somehow was only tolerable due to Bruce Willis and *holding my breath* Seann William Scott. The atrocious Tracy Morgan needs to stay in stand up and 30 Rock where he is funny.
That aside………….I agree he needs to have thicker skin. I’ve applauded him for years for being a) so accessible to his fans b)making the movies he wants in spite of the outcome c) still being perverse and crazy and not taking the Adam Sandler romcom road. He hasn’t made a really great film in awhile, but I’d still listen to the dude rant for hours………….besides you can never tell tone from typing, and this could all be utter sarcasm or as he claims “because I’m a press whore”. Let’s not forget the shit he started with Tim Burton and others.
He stirs the pot sometimes to see if he can, because in his mind I think he still thinks of himself as a totally normal guy.
Does this make him wrong or right? Neither, but even when I’m shaking my head at him I’ll still listen. Hence? Mission Accomplished.
I think James is right though. Get them all back in the finest form, with a brilliant movie.
Heather recently posted..Mob Thoughts- Kevin Smith Needs to Get Over It Seriously
So with you on Morgan. Even on 30 Rock my patience wears thin with him. His shtick (if that’s what it is) is just infuriating.
Encore Entertainment recently posted..Literature Review
I loved him on SNL though, as Brian Fellows, he was hilarious.
He seriously does need to get over it and it’s a prime example of why some people shouldn’t use Twitter!
Olive recently posted..
Well, occasionally he offers up some funny thoughts and jokes, and some interesting links. The rants are where he loses me though.
Jonathan Sullivan recently posted..News- Godzilla’s New Look
I’m in agreement with the Get Over It! I hope, however, that people will distinguish his rants from his work.
Róisín recently posted..Róisín’s tribute to Daniel H Wilson’s “A Guide to the Amazing Science Fiction Future that Never Arrived”
I personally won’t mix the two together. I’ll continue to watch his movies and gush over The View Askewniverse.
Jonathan Sullivan recently posted..News- Godzilla’s New Look
Interesting share dude Thank you
Really interesting article. I like Kevin Smith and I admire his drive and tenacity but I think he does need to get over it. He’s too touchy. I tried tweeting him once and he ignored it but I say one bad thing and its hate mail. He needs to grow up. Still like em though.
Travis McCollum recently posted..
I think you should take his lack of a response personal and seek him out and steal his vegetables!
Kai B. Parker recently posted..THE HAPPY 101 AWARD
I very well could do that. Or should do that. He needs to be taken care of.
Travis McCollum recently posted..
This was a great post. I can’t agree more with you. Smith has one of the most loyal fanbases out there. I’ll bet his fans are the equal to Tarantino’s or Nolan’s, but I mean seriously? The guy needs to lighten up.
I love how he preaches about selling out, and not wanting to conform with Hollywood, but I mean come on. The day I saw Jay and Silent Bob’s action figures at Suncoast Video (remember them!?), Kevin Smith just became the biggest fucking joke of all.
I actually find Kevin Smith quite irrelevant these days. I used to follow him on twitter but got tired of him clogging up my time line. I still have him on a list I don’t follow that frequent.